Santa leaves children in tears after telling them he isn't real and talking about US school massacre

A garden centre Father Christmas has been suspended after he allegedly told little children about the Newtown school massacre and that he was NOT really the big man.

Outraged parents Steven and Wendy Kennett reported the mean-spirited Santa after taking their children, Ryan, 10, Amy, seven and Katie, six to his grotto at the Notcutts garden centre in Oxford

They paid £5.99 for each of the children to meet Santa, and were horrified when he began talking about the Sandy Hook school shootings.

Furious Mrs Kennett told the Oxford Mail that Santa had brought up the school massacre when her children said they had been good.

Mrs Kennett claims he said: "Well there are bad people in the world and bad things happen, like what happened to those children in America."

The children's shocked dad stepped in and stopped him discussing it further.

Santa then asked to speak to 10-year-old Ryan alone. The little boy subsequently came running out of the grotto in tears, reportedly telling his parents, 'Santa told me he is not real, it's just you and dad'.

Mrs Kennett said she was 'totally furious' that she was left with 'three children in floods of tears'.

A spokesman from Notcutts confirmed that the family had complained about Santa's behaviour, and said they would be discussing it with the employee.

"This man was a freelancer and he has been suspended from his job for the season," the spokesman said.

"He has worked for us for 10 years without any complaint and we will be sitting down with him in the future to discuss the incident. At the end of the day the customer is upset. We have apologised for that and we have taken steps and the family have been kept informed."

He said Notcutts had arranged for the Kennetts to visit the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland attraction to make up for the upset.

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